Everyone in the United States has an impact from TikTok in their everyday lives. TikTok appeals to anyone due to its videos that create personalized for-you pages. However, there is so much more to TikTok than just entertainment.

TikTok has entwined into our culture from an entertainment aspect. It has become a way to express oneself through dances, showing their life, and funny videos that make others laugh. When asked what she likes about TikTok, Kelsea Popma, a sophomore at CdM, states, “It’s a nice way to wind down and not think about other things that may be stressing me in my life.” Another student, Sydney Foster, a sophomore at CdM, voices, “I enjoy the accessibility of TikTok and how [much] easier[it is]to use than other social media platforms…, but Tik Tok is… my favorite. It provides captions now, you [can] pause the videos, and the search is better.”

However, the US government has issued an investigation and a trial because of TikTok’s data collection and its parent company ByteDance’s alleged coercion with the Chinese government. The US government is concerned about the national security of the US and the possibility of the TikTok ban increasing.

However, the question that comes to mind is how TikTok’s ban will affect the citizens of the US. Especially the students that use TikTok in their everyday lives. Popma says, “It will be a mostly negative impact, but overall it may make people go off their phones and enjoy outside hobbies rather than look for distraction from their phones.” Foster also agrees and expresses, “I think the worst part of impact in CdM would be people being sad.”

Overall, TikTok has become a great addition to everyday life by becoming an outlet for many looking for amusement or a way to express themselves. Therefore, this creates personalized pages with unique content and increases their addictiveness to people. Nonetheless, this makes TikTok’s possible ban may make it or affect users harder.